


Growing up Nightwing

by Sidhewrites



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, Nightwing (Comics), Teen Titans (Comics)
Genre: Background - Case Fic, Birdflash - Freeform, Canon-Typical Violence, Dick is such a dad, Established Relationship, Father-Daughter Relationship, Gen, Good Big Brother Dick Grayson, It's Ridiculous, Jason has a mouth, M/M, Mentioned Abuse, Siblings, Swearing, mentioned torture, so is wally
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-29
Updated: 2019-09-02
Packaged: 2019-10-18 13:49:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,186
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17582072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sidhewrites/pseuds/Sidhewrites
Summary: Dick Grayson's life is finally where he wants it.  He's 19 and in college pursuing a career he wants. He's out from under the shadow of both the Bat and Bruce Wayne, making a name for himself as Nightwing with the Titans in New York.  He's in a good place in his relationship with Wally, they're going on three years now, and they're making the long distance thing work.  Of course it helps that one of them is one of the fastest men alive.  He and Jason, his new brother and the new Robin, are dare he say it...getting along!Dick's life couldn't get any better, but it's about to get a lot more complicated, when a phone call interrupts one of his rare nights off...





	1. November 18th

**Author's Note:**

> (TITLE MAY CHANGE)  
> This purely self-indulgent fluff. This idea's been knocking around my head for ages and I finally decided to break down and write it. Dick is always shown to take on some of the worst parts of Bruce as he ages. His obsessive nature, bull-headed stubbornness, but he's also shown being a good leader, friend, and confidant. He also has a tremendously big heart, and is shown in later years, after Jason, to be a good brother, and a wonderful father figure to Damian while Bruce is stuck in time-fuckery. So since he can pick up on Bruce's bad habits, I decided that he most definitely picked up other habits too. So welcome to the kinda-sorta AU where Dick has his life together and ends up collecting a stray of his own.

                Blue eyes snapped open in the darkened room, body tensed as he tried to recall what had awoken him.  The only light in the room was the moon, streaming in through the window, illuminating everything in an ethereal silver light.  Keeping his breathing slow and even, making sure his heartrate never changed, he scanned the room.  Checking for intruders, or anything out of place.  Eyes darting, checking every dark corner and under the furniture he could see.  The ringing of a phone echoed in the silence and he remembered where he was.  Taking a full breath he relaxed into the soft sheets beneath him.

                The ringing stopped and a voice rough with sleep rumbled out next to him.  “Hello?”  Silence and the indistinct chatter of the voice on the other end filled the room.  “Uncle Barry?”  Voice more urgent.

                He rolled over so he could see the man in the bed next to him.   Dark freckles scattered across pale skin like constellations, green eyes bright with worry, and red hair looking like fire in the moonlight.  He reached up with the hand not tucked under the pillow, and rubbed the man’s shoulder, squeezing, offering what comfort he could.

                “Yeah, he’s right here, hold on.”  The man took the phone away from his ear and reached across his chest.  “Here, he wants to talk to you.”

                 He scrunched his nose up in confusion as he took the phone from the red head, bringing it to his own ear.  “This is Dick.”

                “Hey, kid.  Sorry to bug you on one of your few nights off.”

                “It’s okay, Barry.  Unlike others, who will remain nameless, you at least only call when it’s an emergency.  And not because you think I’m ‘ _shirking my responsibilities_.’”  He grinned, white teeth flashing in the dark when both the man on the phone, and the one next to him, chuckled.

                “Fair enough.”

                “Although, I have an emergency line.  I know the JLA has it on file.”

                “This isn’t JLA business, and I’m not calling in N.  I’m calling in Dick Grayson.  I need a favour.”

 

* * *

 

 

                Dick’s jaw cracked in a wide yawn as he stumbled out of the taxi, handing money back through the window.  “Keep the change.”

                He rubbed his hands up and down his arms, rubbing warmth back into them.  The Taxi’s heat had been on the fritz, and the cooler than average November Ohio air dug inside his jacket with skeletal fingers, chilling him through.  He turned from the cab and took the stairs two at a time, towards the building Barry had called him to.  The bright lights from the city glinted off the polished metal and stone façade of Central City Precinct.  He crested the last step, stopping as a tall man with short cropped blonde hair, and tired green eyes, pushed the door open.

                “Barry.”

                “Hey, Dick.  Thanks for coming.  Sorry again for waking you.”  Barry held open the glass doors, as Dick made his way across the walk towards the building.               

                Dick shrugged as he ducked under the taller man’s arm, entering the heated entrance, feeling the heat settle over him in a warm rush of air.  “It’s no big deal.  But you’re sure your superiors are okay with you calling me in like this?”

                “It’s more than a little unorthodox, I admit, but it...she’s terrified, Dick.”  He followed Dick into the Precincts Lobby, then motioned for him to follow. Leading him back towards the offices.  “We tried to sedate her, so we could check her for injuries, process her, try and find her folks…she lost her mind when the doc came in with a needle.  She hasn’t eaten or drank anything in twenty-four hours, and who knows how long before that.”  They paused as they came to a solid oak door.  Barry knocked, then turned to look down at Dick, his jovial face was flat with the seriousness of the situation.  “You’re our last option, Dick.  Otherwise we’re gonna have to resort to restraining her so we can sedate and process her.”

                Dick stared up at the taller man, surprised by the amount of faith he was putting in him.  He gave a crooked grin as the door handle turned, the door swinging open.  “Got it, so don’t mess up.”

                “This is the help you brought in Allen?  Some punk kid?”

                Dick didn’t miss the way Barry’s eyes went tight with repressed frustration, as the man who opened the door spoke.  A good-looking man with dark hair and gray eyes, wearing plain-clothes, a silver shield clipped to his belt.  His eyes were dark beneath downturned brows, as they flicked back and forth between Dick and Barry, his mouth in a tight, flat line, as he crossed his arms in front of his chest,

                Dick smiled with just enough charm to put the man at ease, and held out his hand.  “Richard Grayson-Wayne, though most people just call me Dick.  Nice to meet you, Detective…?”

                “Ryans.”  The detective shook his hand, squeezing just shy of too tight, but Dick’s smile never wavered, and his grip didn’t change.  Ryans could try and intimidate Dick all he wanted, but he faced down psychotic, masked criminals every night, and his adoptive Father was Batman.  The surly detective had nothing on that.

                “Detective Ryans.  Thank you for giving this a shot.”  Dick released his hand and stepped into the Detective’s space, smiling up at him, laying a hand on his arm, blue eyes bright with admiration.  “I know most other Detectives wouldn’t want to call in outside help.  Let alone help from someone who isn’t even a cop!  I hope your Captain appreciates how much you’re going above and beyond to help this poor little girl.”

                A light blush spread across the Detectives face as he pulled his arm away from Dick, and motioned for him and Barry to follow him.

                Barry leaned down as he came even with Dick’s shoulder, whispering into his ear.  “Laying it on a little thick there, Grayson, don’t you think?

                Dicks grin becomes something sharper, eyes flashing in the fluorescent lights of the hallway, becoming more dangerous and mischievous.  A predator with its prey.  A Robin grin, all grown up.  “Hey man, you want this to go smoothly?  Or would you rather have spent twenty minutes trying to convince this asshat to let me in?”   Dick shrugged as they rounded another corner, the hall opening into a large bull-pen, desks in pairs littered the room, interspersed with filing cabinets.  “If a little flirting is all it takes to get me in the door and to this kid, I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”  His voice had gone earnest towards the end, his emotions overtaking his calm.

                Barry blinked down at him, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.  “You’re way too wholesome to actually be the Bats kid. How are you allowed to go anywhere without supervision?”

                “My superpower is convincing people I’m a capable adult.”

                Their quiet conversation was interrupted as Detective Ryans stopped at a door at the far end of the bull-pen.  A window with the blinds pulled halfway up was to the left of the door.  Peeking in Dick could see someone had pushed the table and chairs to one side, leaving a wide open space.  In the corner furthest from the door, with the exit in sight sat the form of huddled child.  Her brown hair was a chopped, tangled mess, cuts and bruises scattered what skin was visible, and Dick didn’t doubt that there were more that he couldn’t see.  He could make out her thin shoulders through the aged and threadbare shirt she was wearing.  See the way her wrist bones were protruding from where her arms wrapped around her knees.  She looked up then, as if sensing someone watching her, a fast glance up then back down, green eyes wide, afraid to be caught looking anywhere but inside the darkness of her own arms.

               Dick’s own eyes went wide, when he caught sight of those green eyes.  He knew those eyes, had seen them laugh and light up when she finally managed to do a cartwheel.  Seen them spill over with tears during movies with touching animal scenes. Watched child-like anger flash through them trying to hide the fear, when she would argue bedtime after one of Gotham’s Rouges had decided to tear up the night, and she was worried for her parent’s safety.

                Barry and Detective Ryans gazes both snapped to Dick, as a small wounded sound escaped his throat.

                “Something the matter, Mr. Grayson-Wayne?”

                “Dick, what’s wrong.”

                It took Dick a few moments to find his voice, emotions clogging his throat.  When he spoke the words were thick with repressed emotion.  “Her name Is Isabel Priest.  She’s 12 years old.  She was 11 when she and her Parents were abducted leaving a Gala in Gotham City just over a year ago.”

                “Wait,” Ryans snapped, pitching his voice so it didn’t travel through to the room beyond, were Isabel still huddled in a corner.  “Are you saying you know who this is?  Some rich-kid from Gotham, knows the identity of a random little girl we pulled out of a drug bust.”

                Any joy Dick felt at seeing Izzy, was quickly wiped from his mind as he turned to face the irate Detective.  “Are you implying something, Detective?”

                “I just find it suspicious is all.”  Ryans crossed his arms, blocking the doorway, as if he was worried that Dick would try and storm passed him and into the office beyond.  “You just happen to be in town, when Allen calls you for a favour.”

                Barry growled at the accusation, teeth grinding.  Dick’s hand on his shoulder halted whatever words would have come spilling out.

                “I understand your concern, Detective.  And you should be commended for it, but if you believe for one second that I had anything to do with that child’s abduction.  You are sorely mistaken.”  He raised his chin, and his eyes darkened, none of the laughter and light that had been present until the accusation was visible.  A cool, calm, simmering anger was in its place.  Letting a little bit of Nightwing peek out from behind the mask of Dickie Grayson. Detective Ryans took a small step back as Dick began to speak.  “I’ve known Izzy since she was two years old.  The Wayne’s and the Priests are old friends, Bruce and Dominic grew up together.  I’d been babysitting Izzy since she was five.  I saw her the week before I moved to New York to start college.  She went missing a month later.”

                “And can you also explain why you just so happen to be in town on the night she comes in?”

                “I had a three-day weekend, and decided to come and visit my partner.  Wally West.”

                Barry spoke then, interrupting Ryans before he could speak.  “Wally is my nephew.  That’s how **I** knew Dick was in town to give him a call.”  Ryans turned to him, a brow raised in question.  “I’ve known Dick for a few years, he’s always had a way with kids.”

                “Being able to charm the kids with cheap magic tricks at some high-society party, is not the same as dealing with kids who’ve experienced a traumatic event.”  Ryans snapped, gray eyes narrowing dangerously.

                “Then I guess it’s a good thing I have experience with both then.”

                Ryans opened his mouth to argue, then snapped it shut as he remembered exactly who he was talking to. 

                Dicks responding grin was shy of feral.  “Former circus performer who watched his own parents fall to their deaths at the age of nine?  I’d call that pretty traumatic.”

                Ryans had the good sense and grace to look ashamed, head turning to the side, refusing to look either men in the eye.

               “Now that we’ve got the pissing contest out of the way.  How about we do what Barry called me for, and I try and get Izzy in a calm enough state that your docs can check her over?”

               After several tense moments of silence, where Dick was sure Ryans was about to throw him out the front door, the Detective took a deep breath, his shoulder relaxing.  “Yeah, all right.  Give it a shot.  I’d rather not hurt this kid more than she already has been.”  He stepped aside and motioned Dick towards the door.

               “Thank you, Detective.”  There was nothing but sincerity in Dick’s tone as he stepped forward, turning the door handle.  He slipped into the room, closing the door behind him, his feet not making a sound on the dark blue carpet.  He took several steps into the room, coming to a stop a few feet from Izzy.  He made sure not to crowd her, or block her view of the door and window as he sat down on the floor, cross-legged.  Making himself as small and non-threatening as possible.

               “Hi Izzy, do you remember me?” He kept his voice quiet and even, doing his best not to startle her.  “It’s Dick, kiddo.  Dickie Grayson.”

               Dick watched as the small ball of what used to be a bright happy, 11 year old, flinched

               Dick’s fingers dug into the fabric of his pants, nails almost biting into the skin through the denim.  He was going to **hurt** whomever it was that did this.  Nightwing and the Bat were going to be paying some people a visit.

               Green eyes peeked out from the circle of arms once more, before disappearing again.  Izzy’s whole body seemed to freeze, before her head slowly rose, eyes meeting that of Dick’s and widening.  She began to shake, trembles wracking her frame.  She started to shake her head back and forth, but no sound was coming out.  Even though Dick was sure that she wanted to scream.

               “It’s okay, Izzy.  You don’t believe it’s me, that’s okay.  I wouldn’t blame you.”  He shifted slightly, so that his arms rested on his legs, palms flat on his knees.  He kept his voice low and soothing, as if he was talking to a wild animal that might either run, or bite him.  “You’ve been missing for a year.  I can’t begin to imagine what you must have been through.”

               Izzy’s eyes welled up with tears, a few rolling down her cheeks, leaving tracks in the dirt that stained her skin.

               “You must be completely terrified, not knowing if what’s happening is real, or if it’s all just some elaborate ruse, to trick you. To make you give up whatever secret you’ve been fighting so hard to keep.”  Izzy started to shake harder, as her tears fell faster and faster, fingers rubbing the dirty, ill-fitting fabric of her pants between her fingers.  “I’m not going to make you trust me.  I’m going to earn that again, if you’ll let me.”

               Dick kept talking, voice a soothing balm in the tense atmosphere of the office.  Weaving words together like bandages, stitching up invisible hurts.  He told her about Wayne Manor, things the two of them had done on the nights he watched her, when her parents couldn’t take her to an event.  The time the raided the cookie jar in the kitchen before supper.  Spoiling their appetites for dinner, and making themselves sick.  Watching movies until they both fell asleep.  How she had cried when she’d heard Dick was leaving for college.

               “Or how about that time, I took the blame, and said it was me who had put temporary dye into Bruce’s shampoo, and he had blue hair for a week?”

               As Dick had talked, Izzy had slowly uncurled, head raised, arms still tight around her knees.  It was that last story that did it.  With a small cry Izzy scrambled out of her ball and across the floor into Dick’s lap.  He curled around her, pulling her head in and letting her sob into his shoulder.  Fingers of one hand scratched lightly at her scalp, while the other rubbed careful, soothing circles into her back.  He murmured soft words of reassurance while she cried.

               “Shhh, easy, sweetheart.  It’s okay.  You’re safe now. I promise, I’ll do everything I can to make sure no one can ever hurt you again.”

               Her fingers tightened in his jacket and she sobbed harder, curling against him, making herself small.  Like she used to do on the nights a Rouge had attacked the city, the anger finally bled out, and only the fear remained, and all she wanted was for her parents to come home.

               “A friend of mine is going to come in and check you over okay.”  He felt Izzy stiffen in his arms, and he shushed her quickly. Allaying her fears.  “Shh, shh, no, it’s okay.  I won’t go anywhere.  I’m staying right here.  He’s a good guy, I promise.  He’s the one that called me here.”  He waved at the window, and Barry and an EMT slipped into the room.  He distracted Izzy, telling her how glad Bruce and Alfred were going to be knowing she’s alive.  Why he was in Central City.  Anything he could think of to keep her mind off of two strangers coming in to poke and prod at her.

               She held herself rigid as they checked over the visible injuries, cleaning and bandaging the ones they could see.

               The EMT, a woman with blonde hair and brown eyes gently touched Izzy’s shoulder.  “I need to check you over for other injuries, sweetie.  Can you come with me?”

               Dick watched as Izzy’s eyes widened with fear and felt her tense in his arms.  He tightened them instinctively, turning her head and tucking her face back into his neck.  “Easy, kiddo.  She’s not going to hurt you, I promise.”

               Izzy clung to him and continued to shake her head, but made no other sound, other than a hitching breath as she fought not to cry.

               “What if I stayed in the room with you?”  The EMT looked like she was about to open her mouth to argue at the same time Izzy stiffened.  “I wouldn’t have to look.  I’d just stay in the room.  Keep you safe.  We need to make sure you aren’t hurt any worse than what we can see, sweetheart.  That’s all."  Dick ran a calming hand through her hair as he looked over at the EMT. “Would that be doable?”

               She nodded.  “If she's okay with it, yes, it shouldn’t be too much of a problem.  Nothing seems to be broken, so it would just be cleaning and dressing the rest of her wounds.”  She stood slowly, picking up her kit and putting the strap over her shoulder.  “They’ve set us up in the showers, and dug up a change of clean clothes for her.”

               Dick stood gracefully, standing from his cross-legged position with the ease of a dancer.  Arms never once wavering from where they cradled the much too small twelve year old to his chest.  “Sounds good.  Come in Izzy. I’ll be with you the whole way.”

 

 

               Several hours later, Dick was sitting in the Captains office, a steaming mug of coffee in one hand, and a clean and exhausted Izzy curled up in his lap, head on his shoulder, sleeping peacefully.  The check-up hadn’t gone as smooth as they all had hoped, and Dick was positive he was going to have a black eye, and the EMT was going to need stitches.  Izzy was cleared of all serious injures however, and managed to have a shower and change clothes.  She looked a bit better now that all the dirt, blood, and who-knows-what else had been scrubbed off.  The clothes still didn’t fit quite right, but were a sight better than her previous ones, which had been taken into evidence.

               The Captain sat across from him, elbows on the desk, fingers laced together, pressing against his lips.  “I’ve spoken with GCPD.”  He began, hands dropping to the desk.  “Since the kidnappers crossed state-lines this is a federal case, however...that leaves us with the question about what to do with Ms. Priest.”

               Dick took a small sip of his coffee, before placing his mug on the desk.  “I may have a solution about that.”  The Captain raised a brow in question, and Dick took it as permission to continue.  “She can come back to Gotham with me.”  He raises a hand when the Captain moves to interrupt him.  “Please, hear me out.  She knows me, knows my family.  Bruce would be more than happy to take her in.  This way she’s somewhere that’s familiar, with people she, hopefully, knows she can trust.  She won’t talk right now.  I don’t know if she’s too scared, or if she physically is unable to talk, but putting her somewhere with people she doesn’t know, is not going to help.”

               “Can you say for certain that going to people she does know will?”

               “No, but it honestly isn’t going to hurt, and more than likely won’t make it worse.  Plus we have the means to get her the help she'll need."

               “And what will you do, if she doesn’t want to stay at Wayne Manor?”

               “What?”  Dick blinks in confusion, the question blind-siding him, knocking any argument he could have made in favour of his plan, out the window.

               “She seems very attached to you.”  He motioned at Izzy, where her hand wrapped tight around the leather of Dick’s jacket, head tucked under his chin.  “If you try and drop her off at the Manor, leave her there, and go back to college, and she reacts badly.  What will you do?”

               Dick looked down at the girl curled into his chest.  Chest rising and falling with slow even breaths.  Contentedly sleeping, despite everything she had endured.  His arm tightened around her instinctively, at the thought of putting her through more pain, emotional or otherwise.

               “I’ll make it work.  I may not have been born a Wayne, but I was raised one.  And if there’s one thing I’ve learned growing up with Bruce, it's that nothing is impossible.”


	2. November 19th

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the long wait! This chapter gave me some issues. Mostly with the sibling dynamic between Jason and Dick. I've only ever really read fics were they were wither already on semi-decent terms, as they were older and had worked through most of their issues. Or fics where they were only just introduced to one another and weren't sure what to think of the other. In this they have known each other for a year and are just starting to act more like siblings, instead of strangers taken in by the same man.  
> Jason is also still very much a traumatized child himself, and his reactions in this chapter and the next will reflect that.

CHAPTER 2

 

The tires crunched over the gravel drive of Wayne Manor, as Dick brought the car to a rolling stop.  He gazed up at the expansive manor house, the large windows glinting against the glare of the early afternoon sun.  Rolling his hands against the soft leather of the steering wheel, he took a deep breath, before throwing the car into park, and cutting the engine.

Looking into the rear-view mirror he couldn’t stop the small smile pulling at the corner of his mouth.  Izzy was passed out, fast asleep in the back seat, head pillowed on his leather jacket.  It was a long drive from Central City back to Gotham.  They’d made a few pit stops along the way for gas, food, and a few changes of clothes for Izzy.  He had also texted Wally apologising profusely for having to bail short notice.  Letting him know that he wouldn’t be back, that an emergency had come up and he’d see him next week.

He started to reach back to wake Izzy, before flashing back to the precinct and her adverse reaction to unsuspected touches.

Instead he dropped his arm back along the seat, and called out to her softly. “Hey there sweetheart, time to wake up.  We’re here.”

Dick watched silently as Izzy startled awake, scrambling to put her back against something solid, green eyes wide as they darted around the interior of the car.  Breathing fast and shallow.

“Easy.  We’re in my car remember?  We were driving to Gotham. I’m brought you to the Manor.”  He twisted around in the front seat, so he could see Izzy better, one hand near the locking mechanism, should he need to prevent her from running off before he got her calmed down.

Izzy’s eyes slowly filled with recognition, breathing evening out as she took deeper breaths, body unclenching from the preparation of fight or flight. “Home?”  Green eyes peered at him from the corner of the car she had tucked herself into.

Her voice was small and rough from disuse, but Dick smiled at hearing it anyway.  She had started talking the further away from Central they had gotten.  Not many words, and no long sentences, but she was talking.  That alone was music to Dick’s ears.

“If you want it to be.”  He twisted back around in his seat, undoing his buckle, and reached for the door handle.  “But no need to make big decisions right now. I texted Alfred about an hour ago, he’s dying to see you again!”

Dick could see Izzy tracking him from inside the car, eyes wary as he circled the front of the car, around to the back passenger door.

“Uncle B here?”  She asked as he opened the door.

He couldn’t stop his lips from twitching as he suppressed his laughter, remembering Bruce being simultaneously fond and embarrassed by the affectionate nickname that Izzy had been calling Bruce since she could talk.

“No, Bruce is still at the office, but I told him I was bringing you.  He’s just as excited,” He winked at her then, a teasing grin spreading across his face.  “Well, as excited as B ever gets.”

Izzy’s hand went up to her mouth, hiding the grin that she had, eyes quickly scanning the area again, before Dick could see her remember that she wasn’t going to get in trouble for laughing.

His grin never changed as he held his hand out for her to take, not wanting her to realize that he had noticed.  He was compiling a mental list of the twitches and tells he was seeing, so he could relay them to Bruce before he left.  Make sure she had the best possible chance to start to heal here.

He grinned wider when he felt Izzy slide her small hand into his, and helped her climb out of the car.  He reached back in once she was clear and grabbed the bags that were on the floorboards.  His weekend bag, and a bag they had picked up for Izzy after a quick, but harrowing foray into a supermarket.  A few changes of clothes and some basic toiletries.  He kept a hold of her hand, and nudged the door closed with his foot, as they headed up the steps to the manor.

He watched out of the corner of his eye as Izzy head moved continuously, taking in everything that had once been as familiar to her as her own home.  He tilted his head back in slight relief as they came to the large front door of the Manor, glad she seemed to be reacting well.

He let go of Izzy’s hand and knocked three times, before resting it back on Izzy’s shoulder.  She tensed but didn’t pull away.  As the seconds ticked by, she started to relax, the tension leaving her shoulders bit by bit, shoulders lowering from where they had been hunched up by her ears.

The door clicked and Dick felt Izzy tense again and duck behind him, fingers tightening into the fabric of his shirt.

Alfred stood straight backed and proud, suit finely pressed and starched as always.  Not a button out of place.  “Good afternoon, Master Dick.”

Dick didn’t try and stop the smile that formed at seeing the older man.  “Hi Alfred.  I brought a guest with me.”

“I see that.” Alfred turned then to look at Izzy, steel blue eyes soft and fond as he smiled warmly at the girl peeking out from behind Dick, hands hidden in the too long sleeves of Dick’s jacket.  “Welcome back Miss. Isabel.  You have been greatly missed.”

She waved quickly before disappearing back behind Dick, pressing her face into his back.

Alfred eyes narrowed at the sight of the once outgoing child hiding like a scared mouse.  A glance at Dick showed the same rage in blue eyes, simmering just beneath the surface.

Alfred took a deep breath to make sure that none of the anger he was feeling came through in his voice.  “No sense standing out in the cold like heathens.  Come in.”  He stood aside and waved the pair inside.

Dick reached back and laid a hand on Izzy’s shoulder, leading her out from behind him, and guiding her into the house.

Alfred followed in behind, closing the door against the chilly afternoon air.  He took Dick’s bag before the young man could even form a protest.  “Dinner won’t be ready for several hours.  Master Dick, why don’t you reacquaint Miss. Isabel with the Manor, and I’ll bring some tea and sandwiches up to the family library.”

Dick smiled gratefully as he felt Izzy hiding against his back again.  “That sounds great, Alfie.  Thanks.”

A tour would help familiarize Izzy with the Manor again, and give her a chance to collect herself a bit, away from someone she wasn’t quite sure if she could trust again yet or not.

He twisted around to glance behind him, grinning at the curious look he was being given.  “Come on, Izzy, I’ll re-give you the Grand Tour.”

 

 

A young boy walked into the study on the Manor’s second floor, late afternoon light casting the room in a soft orange glow.  A tea tray rested on the table between a couch and two chairs, several half-eaten sandwiches scattered across its surface. He paused briefly at seeing Dick passed out on the couch, a book over his face.  He hadn’t known he was even in Gotham.  The older teen had been avoiding Gotham, and the Manor, like the plague since his and Bruce’s last fight several weeks ago.

He took a step further into the room only to pause again, a small sound catching his attention.  A whimper.  One that had Dick sitting up immediately, head snapping in the direction of the sound, book sliding down to his chest.  The boy’s head followed the movement to one of the wing-back chairs, opposite the couch.  Teal blue eyes widening at what he saw.  Curled up on the seat, tucked in under a leather jacket, was a child.  The only thing visible was one thin, pale hand, curled tightly into the jacket, and a mop of choppily cut brown hair.

They both watched as the child shifted uneasily for several seconds, before settling again, breathing which had become fast and erratic, returning to slow and even, as they drifted back to sleep.

Dick sighed quietly dropping back against the couch for a moment, then lifting his head he sent the boy a crooked, though tired, grin.  “Hey, Jason.  How was school?”

“Fine.  Who’s that?”

“This is Isabel Priest – ”

“That kid that you and B’ve been lookin’ for since b’fore I got here?”

“The very same –  ”

A small scowl crossed Jason’s face, “Why’s she here?”

Dick scowled as he sat up straight on the couch, catching the book before it fell to the floor.  “Don’t be rude, Jason.”

Jason’s scowl deepened as he turned his gaze from Izzy to Dick.  “That ain’t what I meant, Dickhead.  I meant why is she here, and not at a cop shop, or somethin’.”

“She’s here because she needs a place to stay.  Just like you did.  Just like I did.”  Dick pushed himself to his feet, tossing the book back on the couch.  He walked over to Jason and ruffled the shorter boy’s hair, cracking a grin when Jason’s scowl deepened as he shoved his hand away, glaring up at him.  “She knows Bruce, knows Alfred, and the Manor.  Has had for just as long as I have.  She’ll feel safe here.”

“I guess.”  Jason grumbled crossing his arms and glared down at his feet, peeking over at Izzy’s sleeping form from under curling black hair.

“It’ll take some adjustments, but I think you two will actually get on really well.  She’s going to be terrified for a while; we don’t know what all happened to her.”

“Why not?”  Jason looked up at his older brother, raising one brow in question.

“It’s a long story.  I’ll explain later tonight once Bruce gets back.”

“Stingey.”  The younger crossed his arms, frowning at the floor once again, though this time in annoyance at having to wait.

Dick chuckled quietly, ruffling Jason’s hair once more, as he stepped away.  “You mind keeping an eye on her for a bit, Jay?”

Jason stiffened in surprise, eyes going wide as they looked between Dick and the still sleeping Izzy.  “What?”

“Just for a few minutes, I promise.  There is no bathroom in this library, and I didn’t want to leave her alone.  She more than likely won’t wake up.”

Jason chewed on his lip for a few seconds, watching the slow rise and fall of the jacket, as Izzy breathed slow and easy.  Still in a deep sleep.  “Fine.  But you owe me one, Dickie.”

“Thanks Jay, I’ll be back in five minutes, promise!”

Jason tracked Dick as he hurried out of the room, leaving before he could change his mind.

He sighed as he turned his attention back to the small library, and the girl in the chair.  It was hard to see under the jacket, but Jason thought Izzy looked smaller than even he had when he came to the Manor.  And he’d been on the streets of Crime Alley for nearly 3 years.  He quietly walked over to the couch Dick had been previously occupying, one eye on Izzy, making sure she wasn’t about to wake up.  He picked up the book, and flipping it to the first page, sat down against the arm, facing the sleeping girl, and began to read.

He hadn’t even made it a full two pages in when a small sound made him look up.  Green eyes, wide with fright, met his blue, and Jason nearly dropped the book in his surprise.

“Shi- I mean, uh…Hi?”  Jason winced internally at how awkward he sounded.  “Dick j’s stepped out fer a sec, he’ll be right back.  He asked me t’keep an eye on you.  I’m Jason, Dick’s…brother?”

Jason watched as Izzy’s eyes narrowed slightly at his hesitation.  He realized his error too late when her eyes widened as she began looking around the room frantically, head whipping back and forth.  Jason dropped the book as he saw Izzy’s eyes stop on the open library door.  Seeing what was about to happen a split second before she moved.

Izzy dropped to the floor and scrambled for the exit.  The jacket falling off her shoulders.

Jason’s leap for her interrupted by his shins hitting the table edge.  “Dammit!  Wait, kid, come – fuck!”

Izzy grabbed the door frame as she slid around the corner, barely keeping her feet as she headed up the hall.

Jason cursed and placing his hands on top of the table, gathered his feet under him, and frog leaped over top.  He landed easily in a crouch on the other side, and ran for the door.   He slid to a stop outside the door, looking up and down the hall, but saw no sign of Izzy. She’d vanished.

“Shit.  Dick’s gonna murder me.”

“Jay?”

Jason flinched and looked over his shoulder to see Dick striding up the hall.  He turned his head back around, hunching his shoulders.  Refusing to meet Dick’s eyes.  “M’sorry.”

“What happened?”  Dick came level with Jason and looked over the younger teen’s head, to see the library empty.  Jacket in a heap on the floor.  No sign of Izzy.  “Jason, what – ”

“I’m sorry!”  Jason hunched in on himself further, one hand going up to his head, fingers wrapping tight in his hair.  “She woke up an’ panicked when she saw me ‘stead of you.  I tried t’ tell her you’d be righ’back but she ran off ‘for I could explain and – ”

“Whoa, whoa, Jaybird, breathe!” Dick moved in front of Jason and crouched down so they were eye level.  Gripping his brother’s shoulders tight.  “Easy.  Jason, I’m not mad at you.”

“Y’r not?”  Jason forced himself to look up at Dick, taking slow, measured breaths, like Alfred had taught him. Trying to slow his heartrate and breathing.

“Of course not.”

“But…you…y’asked me to watch her and she ran off.”

“Which isn’t anyone’s fault but mine.”  Jason could only stare at Dick’s chagrined look, disbelief clear on his own.  “I should have woken her up to let her know I was leaving for a second, and to introduce her to you.  This is solely on me.”

“But – ”

“No buts.  Now,” Dick squeezed Jason’s shoulders once more as he stood up, looking up and down the hallway himself.  “Did you see which way she went?”

Jason shook his head, biting at his lip.  “No, she was gone by th’time I reached the door. F’r bein’ so small, kid sure is fast.”

“Yeah.  She always was really good at hide and seek.”  He sighed as he headed up the hallway, snagging the shoulder of Jason’s t-shirt as he went, pulling him along with him.  “Well come on, let’s go find her.”

 

It was an hour later and Dick and Jason had searched all over the family level of the house, and the main level, with still no sign of Izzy.  Jason was exiting the dining room when he saw Dick leaving the ballroom, looking more frazzled than he had been ten minutes ago.  “I take it she ain’t in the Ballroom neither?”

“Either, and no.  Kitchen?”

Jason rolled his eyes at the correction to his grammar, before biting his lip at the hopeful lit in Dick’s question.  “No.  I asked Alfie too, he ain’t seen ‘er either.”

Dick’s shoulder slumped as he ran a hand through already mussed dark hair.  “You…you don’t think she could have made it down to the Cave, do you?”

“Nu-uh, no way.”  Jason shook his head quickly at that idea.  “I ain’t even been down there t’day, and Alfred **never** leaves the entrance open.  So unless she knew ‘bout it from b’fore – ”

“You’re right.  It was just a thought.  Where could she have gotten to though?”  Dick ran a hand through his hair again, mussing it up further.

Jason rubbed the material of his pants between his fingers as he thought, thinking of places they hadn’t checked yet, or where a scared kid might go to hide.  His hand tightened, bunching the leg of his pants into his fist.  He opened his mouth, but hesitated, unsure of how he wanted to voice his thought.

Dick must have noticed his change in attitude, as the next thing he knew a hand was laid on his shoulder, and Jason jumped, yelping in surprise.  He snapped his head up, meeting Dick’s curious and concerned gaze.  “Jay? What’s wrong?”

He shrugged out from under Dick’s hand, taking a step back.  “Nothin’s wrong!” He took a breath, calming himself.  “I just…I had a thought is all.  ‘Bout where the kid mighta run off to.”

Jason watched from underneath his bangs as Dick scowled and opened his mouth, but then stop and take a breath, reigning in his temper.  “Care to share?”  The tone was still sharp, but at least he was trying to not be, well, a dick.

Jason took a breath, still keeping his head down, refusing to look Dick in the eye.  He didn’t like talking about his time on his own in the Alley.  Not that he was ashamed of his life on the streets, but he **hated** seeing the pity on Bruce and Dick’s face’s every time it came up.  Even if his information was helpful. The only one that didn’t look at him like that was Alfred.

“When I…before I came here, if I had t’get away from some druggie or gangbanger, I’d choose one o’ two places.”  He held up two fingers and ticked off each item as he spoke.  “Somewhere high, or someplace small and tight.  If it was both, bonus for me.  I could fit inta places most thugs can’ even hope ta reach.  An’ I was a fas’ climber.”

“Okay, but how does that help us find Izzy right now.”

Jason fought back the urge to roll his eyes, but his impatience bled through and his words were laced with it.  “Yer the one that said the girl was good at hide n’ seek, yeah? Using what I jus’ said, and what y’know of her, where would she go t’hide?”

 Jason met Dick’s scowl with one of his own, one dark brow arching in challenge.  He watched as Dick’s hand curled once, before releasing, a long exhale followed as he calmed himself down and thought.  His head shot up a few seconds later and he reached forward getting a handful of Jason’s t-shirt, pulling him along with him.  “Attic.  She’ll go to the attic.”

“Why haven’t we checked there yet?”  Jason shrugged out of his brother’s hold, but lengthened his strides to keep pace with Dick’s longer legs.

“She hated going up there before, so I never even thought of it.” Dick sighed as they reached the staircase, and Jason tried to see his face, but as soon as they hit the first stair Dick was taking them two at a time.  “But I guess when it’s either go back to whatever hell she was in, or face an old fear…I’d probably take the attic too.”

 

Jason and Dick stared up at the entrance to the attic, the string that allowed the ladder to be pulled down, was pulled up inside the hidden door.  If you didn’t know where to look, you wouldn’t know there was a door there at all.

Jason watched as Dick looked around, trying to find something he could balance on, so he could climb up and get the door open.  He rolled his eyes and cleared his throat, getting Dick’s attention.  “Gimme a boost.  I’ll get it open.”

Dick abandoned the grip he had on a side table and walked back over to where Jason was now standing beneath the attic entrance.  He linked his fingers together, forming a step and crouched down low enough that Jason could step up and grip his shoulder for balance as Dick straightened.  Once Dick was again standing tall Jason stepped up onto his shoulders, and Dick switched his grip to the smaller boy’s calves.  Helping him balance as Jason went up on his tip-toes to reach the pulled up string.

Jason silently cursed the fact that he still hadn’t hit a growth spurt since coming to the Manor a year ago, as he wiggled his fingers, reaching as far as he could.  He gave a small shout of triumph as his finger caught the string, pulling enough back out that he could then pull the door open.

Dick stepped to the side, Jason moving with the shift easily as the door swung down and open, though not very far.  The door was old and stiff, and didn’t swing as freely as it once did.

Before Dick could tell Jason to pull the ladder down, he was already pulling himself up into the attic, disappearing into the darkness.

“Jason!  Jason Peter Todd, get your ass back here!”

Jason rolled his eyes, ignoring Dick’s hissed commands to come back.  He was tall enough to pull the ladder down himself, he didn’t need Jason for it.  He made his way carefully through the rafters and boxes, being careful not to disturb anything, not wanting to be responsible for breaking anything, and having to explain himself to Alfred.  Or Bruce.  He braced a hand on one of the beams, squinting to try and see through the dimly lit space.  He looked at the ground trying to see where the dust had been disturbed by someone walking.

His head snapped in the direction of a muffled sneeze, and he pulled himself up into the rafters, making his way towards it.  He picked his way among the old beams, nimbly stepping along the oak rafters, feet sure and grip easy, as he dipped and swung.  He made sure to make some noise as he approached the location he was sure the sneeze had come from.  He didn’t want to scare Izzy more than he already had.

His hunch proved correct when he reached the furthest corner of the attic, and saw a pair of shoed feet, sticking out from beneath an old, dusty, moth-eaten sheet.

Carefully sitting on the beam he was standing on, Jason let his legs hang on either side, swinging them back and forth gently.  He coughed, announcing his presence.  A familiar anger settled in his chest, when a small, frightened squeak came from beneath the sheet, quickly followed by the feet being tucked under.

“Y’can come out.  I’m not gonna hurt ya.”

He watched the sheet shift sharply, as if something tried to draw away further underneath.  Izzy no doubt trying to make herself smaller.

He let out a sharp breath, annoyed at himself.  ‘ _Maybe I shoulda let Dickie come up here, ‘stead of me.  How am I s’posed t’talk her…_ ’  his thoughts trailed off as an idea struck him.

He rubbed his palms along his pant legs, taking a steadying breath.  “Smart of ya to come up ‘ere.  Lotsa places t’hide.  Or get up high, or inta a tight spot that bigger fella’s wouldn’t be able t’get into.”  He swallowed, letting his eyes close as his head tipped back.  “These were the kinda places I looked out for, when I was living in Crime Alley, runnin’ from gangs, or people I stole from…those what caught me at it anyhow.”

He smiled softly at the sound of shuffling feet and a soft sigh of a sheet moving.  He didn’t turn to look to see if Izzy had crawled out all the way, but at least he knew he was starting to break through.  Just a little.

“I’m fast, got to be to survive the Alley, but mosta the scum that run the streets got longer legs, than me.  Can eat up more ground.  So’s gettin’ into small spaces, or up high usually meant I got t’live ‘nother night, got t’eat what I’d took, maybe get some shut eye. Repeat again the nex’ day.”

Jason eased back until he was lying flat along the beam, hands behind his head, ankles hooked together so he wouldn’t fall. “I come up here sometimes when things out there get t’be too much.  After a bad day at school, or after Dick an’ Bruce fight.”  One hand came out from behind his head to rub at his chest, voice going tight and quiet.  “It’s silent up here, no one comes up here but Alfie, an’ I can think without worryin’ if someone’s gonna sneak up on me…or corner me.  You can always hear someone comin’ up here.  Gives you lotsa time to fin’ a good place t’hide.”

He risked looking then, to see the sheet draped over Izzy like a hood, only her head peeking out, the rest of her still hiding.  Once again, blue eyes met green, but there wasn’t as much fear.  Weary caution, and curiosity mingled now with the fear.  A fear that would probably always sort of be there.  Jason knew.

After living through hell, the fear never really left.

He smiled a bit more openly, slowly sitting up and swinging his leg over the beam.  Being sure to telegraph his movements.  Trying to keep Izzy at ease.  Knew from his time on the streets, from being Robin, that dealing with a traumatized kid was like dealing with a street dog.  Move too fast, and you risked being bit, or spooking them so bad they never trusted you.

“We kinda got off to a bad start, eh?  Name’s Jason.  I’m Dick’s adopted brother.  Bruce took me in a bit over a year ago.”  He lowered himself down to the floor, moving to a cross-legged position immediately.  Making sure to keep his posture as non-threatening as possible, keeping himself small.

“Dick’s awful worried ‘bout you.  We’ve been lookin’ for you since I scared ya.  M’sorry ‘bout that, I didn’ mean to.  I didn’t know Dickie hadn’t mentioned me to ya at all.”  He offered her a teasing grin, tilting his head back the way he had come.  “He’s just outside the attic, waitin’ for us t’come down. If y’want we can go give him shit for makin’ me scare ya like that.  Or better plan, we guilt him into helping us steal some of Alphie’s cookies?  Whadaya say?”

He watched quietly as Izzy seemed to struggle with herself.  Keep hiding and wait for Dick, or go with this strange, rough around the edges kid, and **go to** Dick.

He startled a bit when Izzy stood, being careful to keep the sheet wrapped around herself.  “Cookies?”

Jason grinned wide then, standing up himself.  “Y’got it Princess, cookies it is.”


	3. November 19th - Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the delay in updates. This chapter gave me a really tough time, and I struggled a bit with the wording and flow of Bruce and Dick's argument. There's some angst, some fluff, followed by a bit more angst and fluff.  
> Chapter 4 will be out next Monday! And that's a promise I can keep, because the chapter is already written!
> 
> A huge thank you goes out again to Bri (Kontent) for helping me get through this chapter.

Bruce followed quietly behind Alfred into the kitchen.  His suit jacket was draped over one arm, briefcase held in the other, and his dark blue tie was already loose around his neck. Entering from the far side of the kitchen, allowed him the chance to get a good look at his sons and his goddaughter, before they saw him.  Ice blue eyes narrowed in anger as he took in what he could see of Izzy.  Dick hadn’t downplayed her physical condition in the slightest during his call to Gotham; even if the conversation had been quiet and rushed.  His oldest son not wanting to wake the sleeping girl.  She was much too thin and small for a girl of twelve, even one who may not have been getting regular meals. 

Jason had been bigger when he came to the manor, and he had admitted to maybe getting a meal a day.  With the occasional stolen snacks in between meals on good days.  For Izzy to be as small as she was, her bones protruding, nearly visible through the sheet she was wrapped in, she must have been getting less than that.  For a prolonged period of time. 

He now better understood the not so subtle undertone of rage to Dick’s voice, during their phone conversation.  He had thought the tightness to his oldest son’s voice had been because of their last argument a few weeks ago. But no, it had most certainly been because of this.  Izzy had been a small child yes, but not this small.  Not this fragile.  Bruce nodded to himself, eyes hardening, as he took in the three seated at the table, a glass of milk and a cookie apiece.  He’d be contacting Flash at the earliest opportunity and  _requesting_  everything the CCPD had gathered on the case so far.  Batman was going to find who hurt his goddaughter and make sure Izzy, and her parents, got the justice they deserved. 

As if sensing the shift in their father’s mood, both Dick and Jason turned their heads to look at Bruce.  He let the tension drain from his face and offered both a small smile.  Nothing more than a twitch of his lips really, but they saw it regardless, smiling back in greeting. 

“Bruce.” 

“Hey B.” 

Bruce watched, hiding his roiling emotions behind a well-crafted mask, as Izzy startled, almost spilling what was left of her milk.  She sunk down in her seat, cautiously peering out from around Jason’s shoulder, from where she was seated between him and Dick.  His eyes widened as hers did, and he watched as she dropped from her seat, and scrambled beneath the table.  He was about to leave, wondering if all the men in the room was making her nervous, when she shot out from under the table, slamming into his legs only a moment later.  Her small arms wrapping as tight around his waist as she could manage. 

He looked up to see an astonished look on Jason’s face and a slightly surprised look on Dick’s.  A look that quickly bled away into one of understanding, and a smile replaced the frown. 

“It would appear,” Alfred said as he re-entered the kitchen, picking up the jacket and briefcase that Bruce had dropped in his surprise, dusting off what little dirt had settled onto the coat.  “That your visage is unchanged enough, Master Bruce, that Miss. Isabel recognized you instantly.” 

Bruce brought one of his hands up, cupping the back of Izzy’s head, marvelling at how small it still was.  “Is that so?  Well I guess that’s one point in favour for being old, hm?”  He smiled when he heard Jason chuckle at the table, a sound Izzy echoed, giggling into his stomach. 

Alfred cleared his throat gaining everyone’s attention.  Izzy tensed and Bruce ran a hand over her head, hoping to ease her fear. 

“Supper will be served shortly; why don’t we adjourn to the dining room?” 

 

* * *

 

 

Supper was a tense affair.  As most were whenever Bruce and Dick were in the same room for too long together.  Bruce sat at the head of the table as he always did.  Dick was to his right, with Jason and Izzy sat on the left side of the table. 

Jason had to at least give the pair credit; they had managed to keep from sniping at each other across the table.  Settling for the occasional dirty look instead.  A fact that Jason was extremely grateful for.  Alfred had made chicken noodle soup, and he didn’t want his enjoyment of it soured by Dick and Bruce’s fighting.  Again.  It was the same soup that Alfred had made for him when he first came to the Manor.  It was easy on the stomach after having years of inconsistent meals, and it made sense that he would make it tonight for Izzy. 

Jason glanced over at Bruce when he heard him place his spoon back on the table.  Jason felt his heart-rate pick up at the pinched look on Bruce’s face.  Jason’s hands automatically curled into fists, fingernails biting into the fabric if his jeans.  He forced himself to take a deep breath, uncurling his fists.  He tried opening his mouth to excuse himself, but nothing came out.  He coughed and tried again, “Can Izzy an’ I go?” 

Bruce started and glanced over at the two children, seeing that they were both done with their meals.  “Of course, Jason.  Dick and I need to discuss a few things anyway.” 

Jason nodded and dropped out of his chair, grabbing Izzy’s hand as he passed by her chair.  He dropped his voice to a bare whisper as she stood to join him.  “Discuss things is Bruce-ese f’r fightin’. I don’ think y’wanna see tha’.  Come on.” 

Jason tugged Izzy out of the room with him, seeing her toss a concerned look over her shoulder.  “Don’ worry, they jus’yell a lot.  We’ll put a movie on in th’den t’drown it out.” 

They made it up the stairs and to the Den in silence and Jason made for the movie shelf as soon as they were through the door, looking for something non-violent that they could watch.  He pulled out a few to let Izzy pick, turning back to face her, only to see her looking back out the door, concern and fear on her face. 

“Wha’s th’matter, Princess?” 

Izzy shifted, jaw moving, and fingers twisting in the hem of her shirt, as she tried to find the words.  “They...do they always fight?” 

Jason sighed and walked over to the couch to drop into it, staring at the floor.  “Not as much as they used to.  They fought a lot, when I firs’ came t’th’manor.  Mostly over me “replacin’” you and Dickie.”  Jason scowled as he remembers his first few months at the Manor, and how cold and biting Dick was with both himself and Bruce.  “Which he knows now, isn’true, the timin’ of it was jus’shitty, and he’s apologized, and has b’n tryin’ to be a better brother.  Now they mostly jus’fight abou’Dick’s career choices.” 

Jason looked up to see Izzy start to try and say something else. Only for her jaw to click shut as the raised voices of Bruce and Dick, drifted up the stairs, like smoke from a distant fire. Izzy took a hesitant step away from the door, her whole body starting to tremble.

Jason felt his own shoulders tensing, his breathing becoming faster.  He hated when Dick and B fought, it always, **always** , dredged up bad memories of his mom and Willis arguing.

He knew where yelling led.  Yelling led to screaming, which led to hitting, which led to more yelling and Willis leaving for who knows how long.  Leaving Jay to pick up the pieces. 

He’s dragged sharply out of his thoughts by the sound of something heavy hitting something hard.  His up before he's even thought about it, grabbing Izzy’s hand as he passes, pulling her with him.  Slamming the door to the Den as they leave.  “Com’on we don’ need to hear this shit!”

They hit the hall at a run as Jason led them deeper into the manor, heading for the big library.

 

* * *

 

 

Dick watched as Jason and Izzy left the room, already feeling his shoulders growing tense, preparing for the verbal reprimand he’s about to get. 

He sees Bruce lean back in his chair, arms crossing across his chest.  “Thank you, for brining Izzy here.” 

Dick can’t quite help the scowl that starts to settle on his face.  “What was I supposed to do?  Leave her in Central City?  With people she doesn’t know?”  Dick placed his own spoon carefully on the table, purposefully gentle, trying not to let his anger get the better of him.   “She’ll recover better here, with people she knows, in a place she’s always felt safe.  Rather than in the foster system of a city that isn’t hers.” 

“Is that something your...classes have told you?” 

‘ _There it is._ ’ 

“Yes actually.”  Dick’s words were sharp and direct, but as patient as he could make them.  “Which was why I was going to ask if you would be willing to take Izzy in?  Like you did for me and Jason?”  Dick made sure to keep his tone even, now was not the time to have an argument about his schooling.  Not when there was Izzy to worry about.  “I know Dominic made you her godfather, and had probably given you custody in his and Amelia’s wills, if anything were to happen to them.  I figured I would ask you anyway though.” 

Bruce turned in his chair, so he was facing Dick more directly, eyes gazing at Dick levelly across the table.  And Dick couldn't help but feel 13 again, small, insignificant, and wondering what he'd done to disappoint his father this time.“And what if I had to say no?  What would you do?” 

‘ _Not if he said no, but if he_ **_had_ ** _to say no.  If there was something preventing him from taking Izzy._ ’ 

“Is there a reason you have to say no?” Dick asked instead, instead of answering right away.

“Hypothetical question.” 

Dick tugged at the sleeve of his shirt as he thought.  He didn’t know what Bruce was looking for, or why he was even asking, but Dick would do what he always did.  Leap, and hope to fly. 

“If you had to say no, for whatever reason, I...suppose I would just take Izzy with me.” 

“And those would be her only choices?” 

Dick swallowed down his first few responses, counting to ten.  “What, would you rather her be in the foster system?  In Gotham?”  Dick rolled his eyes, crossing his arms across his chest, mimicking Bruce's posture.  “Yes, because that worked out great for me, before you took me in.  And for Jason.  Is that something you really want for Izzy...I mean  _hypothetically_ _,_  of course.” 

Bruce sighed, pinching his nose, but Dick started speaking again, before he could say anything.  “And at least she would have a choice.  Which probably isn’t something she’s had in a long, goddamned time.” 

“And what about school?  You’ve already changed majors once; I don’t think the University would be as accommodating a second time.” 

“I didn’t come here to discuss my life or schooling choices with you Bruce. I brought Izzy  **home** **.**   That should be what we’re focusing on.” 

“I am, Dick.  My point is, Izzy has always been fond of you, since she was a toddler.”  Bruce’s tone was even, calm, but Dick could hear the tension beneath it.  Like a grapple line ready to swing you to safety, or snap in half.  “And you know how traumatized children can react.  Especially given her history with you.  She might have latched on to you as her safe person. I’m just trying to make you understand-” 

“There are better ways to do that, than ragging on what  **I**  decided to do with  **my**  life!”  Dick pushed himself up from the table, his knuckles white with how hard he was gripping the edge of it.  “If Izzy decides she wants to come back to New York with me I’ll make it work, somehow.” 

“And just how exactly-” 

“I don’t know Bruce!” Dick threw his hands in the air.  “Is that what you want to hear?  I don't know!  It’s not something you can just think of a plan for on the spot!” 

“You should always have a plan.” 

“Really!”  Dick snapped incredulously.  “ **You**  had a plan for Isabel Preist, who has been missing for over a year, showing up in Central City?  Especially considering we were both pretty sure she was dead fifteen hours ago.” 

Bruce slammed his hand down on the table, and Dick’s mouth snapped shut.  He realized that he had gone too far.  He began apologizing only to pause when he heard a door slam loudly further into the Manor. 

“Shit.”  Dick bit at his lip, hand running through his hair, when he realized exactly what that sound meant. 

Bruce's heavy sigh dragged Dick's attention back to him, in time to see his father run a hand over his face, and lean back into his chair.  “Why is it that we always seem to fight?  It never used to be this hard to talk.” 

Dick bit at the inside of his cheek, thinking over his words.  He didn’t want to start fighting again.  He wanted to go make sure the kids were okay. 

“It’s because you stopped _listening_ , Bruce.  I can’t be a kid forever.  You have to let me make my own choices, my own mistakes.”  He stepped away from the table, heading out the same way Jason and Izzy had, not ten minutes prior.  “Just because I was trying to grow up, didn’t...doesn’t mean I’m going to stop being your son.  I figured that out, though it took a lot of talking to Jason and Alfred to do it.  Maybe it’s time you learned that same lesson.” 

With his piece said Dick made his way out of the dining room, to track down the two teens they’d just terrified.

Leaving Bruce alone with his thoughts, at an empty table.

 

* * *

 

Jason tensed when he heard footsteps entering the library, headed towards his and Izzy’s make shift fort.  He had grabbed some pillows and sheets from a linen closest, on their way to the library, and set themselves up at the very back corner.  Furthest away from the main door, but close to a side exit. 

It was something he used to do on the streets, make a little tent for himself, usually in summer, in the furthest corner he could find, in a dead-end alley.   His back to an opening he had cut into the fence, or against a broken window that he could slip into, if someone got nosey.  Logically he knew no one in the Manor was going to hurt him.  Alfred, Bruce, and Dick weren’t like that.  Weren’t like Willis, or those assholes in Crime Alley, but instinct and fear, didn’t always listen to logic.  He hadn’t made a fort at the Manor in months. Not since Bruce had finalized the adoption, and he finally started to believe that he had a permanent home. 

He had pulled together two tables, laying one on its side, while the other was shoved into a corner, covering them both with his pilfered sheets.  He had also carefully pulled out the shelf they were next to, creating a big enough space that they could shimmy through between the shelf back and the wall.  An escape route if they needed it.  Out the side door, through the parlor, back out to the hall, and then run to one of the bedrooms.  Lock the doors. 

There was a soft knock at on the table top, but no one made a move to enter.  Izzy jumped at the sound, having been engrossed in one of the books that Jason had brought in for them, and he reached across, patting her knee.  “S’okay, it’s jus’Dickie.”  He said to her quietly, before reaching over and moving the sheet enough to see his older brother.  “Whaddya want, Dickhead.  This is a jerk free zone.  Only books and cool kids allowed.”  He winked back at Izzy, smiling when she hid her smile behind her book, laughing quietly. 

“First that’s rude.  You shouldn’t be teaching Izzy such language.” Dick grinned, laying down, with his head pillowed on his arms, looking into the fort, but making no move to actually enter.  “Second, I’m here to apologize.  Bruce and I shouldn’t have fought like that, not in general, and not with you two in earshot.” 

Jason picked at a thread on his jeans, pulling at it with nervous fingers.  “We couldn’ really hear nothin’.  Mostly jus’ muttering.  But we heard...a bang, an’...”  Jason shrugged one shoulder, trailing off, refusing to look Dick in the eye. 

“You thought it got physical?  Oh, little wing,” Dick crawled carefully into the fort, folding himself into the almost too small space.  He laid an arm across Jason’s shoulders, and despite being tucked against Dick’s side, Jason didn’t feel trapped.  “No matter how much Bruce and I argue, we will never, never, get physical with one another.  Okay?” 

“Why do you have to fight at all?” 

Both boys turned to Izzy, who was looking at them, eyes bright with tears. 

Jason felt Dick shift, and saw him hold his other arm out.  Izzy was in his lap in under a second, head tucking in under his chin, fingers curling into Dick’s shirt.  “Hey, hey, now.”  Dick’s voice was soft, careful.  “A lot has changed in the year you were missing kiddo.  Bruce is...unsure of what to do with me, now that I’m trying to do my own thing.” 

Jason curled into Dick’s other side, head resting on his shoulder, relaxing when Dick tightened his arm around him. 

“He still loves me; I know he does.  Bruce and I are a lot alike, in a lot of ways, and I think that’s what he struggles with the most.  He wants to protect me, like he did when I was little, and the world was scary and big, and loud.” 

Jason listened, not wanting to interrupt.  It’s not often Dick talks about what his relationship was like with Bruce when he was younger, before Izzy went missing.  Before he went to college.  Before Jason arrived.  

“He has to learn to trust that what he taught me is enough, but he also has to learn to let me make my own mistakes.  I can’t fly until I can stretch my wings, and he’s having a hard time letting that thought settle. 

“But he still loves me, loves you two,” Izzy squeaked when Dick pulled them in tighter, and Jason bit his cheek to keep from smiling.  “And nothing will change that.  You understand?” 

Jason felt Izzy nod rapidly into Dick’s neck, refusing to look up. 

“What about you Jay.” 

“Yeah, I getcha, Dickie.” 

“Good.  Now that that’s out of the way, I’m going to pop down to the kitchen and grab us some Ice Cream.  Any requests? I’m thinking Mint Chip!” 

Jason’s head shot up with a grin, “Neapolitan!” 

“Done.  What about you, Izzy?” 

“Chocolate, please.” 

“You go it.  Two bowls of Neapolitan and Chocolate coming up.” 

 

* * *

 

 

Dick rolled over in his bed at the Manor, mind foggy from sleep, trying to pull up what could have woken him from such a deep sleep.  He pushed himself up, scrubbing at his eyes, and looked blearily around his darkened room.  He felt a tug at his blankets, and turned towards the end of the bed.  Izzy stood, quiet as a ghost, staring down at the comforter.  Not looking up at Dick. 

“Hey there, kiddo.  You have a nightmare?”  Dick's voice was barely above a whisper, but it still felt to loud in the quiet darkness of his room.

Izzy nodded haltingly, shoulders shaking. 

“Wanna come up here?”  She nodded again.  “Okay then, come on up.”  Dick scooted over making some room for Izzy.  She gripped the comforter and pulled herself up, and crawled over to where Dick was laying.  He pulled back the comforter, and she curled up into his chest, face pressed into the soft fabric of his sleeping shirt.  He pushed her hair back with careful fingers. “Would you like to talk about it?” 

She shook her head and Dick smiled gently. 

“Okay, how about I talk for a bit?  I had a question I wanted to ask you, and now seems a good a time as any.” 

Izzy tilted her head back, confusion clear on her face. 

“I was thinking about what happened at supper.  Not about the fight...well kind of about the fight.  Ssomething I said to B, made me think.”  Dick smiled down at her, booping her nose, laughing when she scrunched up her nose, eyes crossing.  “He got me thinking, about choices, and how you, haven’t been able to make any lately.” 

Izzy blinked wide eyes; her throat moved convulsively as she swallowed. 

“I brought you here, without asking, because I thought it would be best for you.  What I should have done, is asked what you wanted to do.  Where you wanted to go.  So, I’m asking you now. 

“Izzy do you want to stay here, with Bruce and Alfred and Jason?  Or come back to New York and stay with me?  I won’t be offended if you choose to stay-oof!”  Izzy surged forward, slamming into his chest, cutting off the rest of his sentence, her body shaking against him.  He wrapped his arms around her as tight as he could, smiling against the top of her head.  “I’ll take that to mean you’re coming back with me on Sunday?”  His smile widened when he feels her nod enthusiastically into his chest.  “All right then.  I’ll give CCPD and GCPD a call in the morning, let them know what’s going on, so they know how to get a hold of us if they need too.” 

Dick continued to stroke Izzy’s hair back away from her face, feeling her lean into the comfort, body slowly relaxing into the bed.  She was quiet for so long that Dick had thought she had fallen asleep, until she spoke into his chest.  Her words barely a whisper of sound. 

“He had a tattoo.  Skull with vines and snakes.” 

“Yeah?”  Dick looked down, meeting Izzy’s eyes with all the calm he could muster.  “Is that what you had a nightmare about?” 

She nodded, “He liked to hit things...before he...”  She trailed off starting to shake again, and Dick tugged her against him.  Soothing her as much as he could. 

“Easy now.  That’s good Izzy, I’m glad you remembered, and I’m glad you told me.” He rolled himself, pulling Izzy with him, moving until he was on his back, with Izzy resting on his chest.  “How about we get you a journal?  So you can write down things you remember.  I love that you told me, I do, but since I know talking about everything right now will be difficult, I want you to be able to communicate what you remember.  What do you think?” 

Izzy nodded again, and he could feel her small smile against the fabric of his shirt.  “Alright.  We’ll pick one up on the way to New York.”  He twisted again, rolling Izzy off his chest, and back onto the bed.  He pulled the comforter up over them and tucked Izzy against his chest.  “Now we’re going to go back to sleep, before Alfred comes to check in, and give us shit for being up so late.” 

Izzy is quiet for a few seconds, before her voice floats up, like a moth’s wings, fluttering in the dark. “That’s a dollar to the jar.” 

Dick blinked, blue eyes wide with astonishment, before he burst out laughing.  “Oh, is it now?” 

She nodded, giggling silently.  “Alfred said.” 

“Well if Alfred said it, it must be true.” 

“Alfred doesn’t lie.” 

“Ain’t that the truth.  Now go back to sleep, kiddo.” 

As sleep began to pull them both back into its embrace, Dick reached over Izzy to his bedside table, grabbing his phone.  He made a quick note to email his professors in the morning, about moving some of his classes online, as well as a note of the tattoo detail to send to both Barry and the Bat-Computer.  With this they might be able to start tracking down the people that hurt Izzy, and killed his honourary Aunt and Uncle. 


	4. November 23rd

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's Chapter 4. It does start picking up after this Chapter, this is more Dick and Izzy bonding fluff that wouldn't take no for an answer.  
> Chapter 5 is written and will be posted either end of the week or next Monday

8 AM Wednesday morning found Dick sitting in one of the few courses he hadn’t wanted to switch to distance learning.  Child Psychology was one he wanted to be in class for .  T he discussions that the class got into, and the practical work they did, weren’t something he could  replicate  if he switched to online.

He glanced down at Izzy who sat on the floor next to his chair, quietly reading.  She had started class in the seat next to him, but the whispers and stares of the other students had her  moving to the  floor.  She was curled up against his leg,  her head resting against his knee.  The  book  in her lap was one  Jason had  suggested .  He could just see her lips moving as she read to herself, and he smiled, running a hand through her hair.  She tilted her head back, grinning up at him.

He glanced at the front of the room, seeing the Professor answering another students question, then turned to Izzy, asking quietly, “How you doing kiddo?  Good book?”

“I’m okay.  Yes, it’s a favourite.”

“Yeah?  Well that’s good.  We’ll have to thank Jaybird, next time we go to the Manor.”

Izzy grinned and turned  back around, refocused on her reading,  and Dick  returned his attention to  his class.  Though not before giving the room at large a quick glance, still seeing several students staring at him.  Whispering among themselves.

He scowled as he started typing ,  keeping up with the lecture , as his mind buzzed with other thoughts .  He kn ew  that his and Izzy’s privacy w ould  be invaded constantly, once  the  word got out  that  he’s taken in a ward.  Just like  _ his _  adoptive father.

He had hoped that the students would at least let them have a day or two of privacy, but that looked like a vain hope now.  Especially with how many students had started muttering .  P ointing at them and nudging one another, as soon as he and Izzy had entered the room.   Like they had been one of the animals at the zoo or circus, there naught but for the entertainment of others.

The class ended an hour later, with a reminder that their papers were due in two weeks .  T he cacophony of noise as students got up to leave, made Izzy tense against him.  He dropped a hand to her head, ruffled her hair.  “ S’okay  kiddo.  We only have one more class today, then we can go home.  We’ll stop and grab Pizza on the way back to the penthouse.  Alright?”

“Can we get mushrooms?”

“You bet we can – Can I help you?”  Dick looked up, a frown replaced his smile, as his gaze shifted from Izzy to the two young men that blocked their aisle, and  the  route to the stairs.

“What’s with the  rugrat , Grayson?” The bigger of the two men spoke first, he had short black hair, with eyes to match.

Dick glared as he stood, blue eyes hard,  gaze  moving back and forth between each student in turn.  “I honestly don’t see what business it is of yours.  I don’t know you, so what I do has no bearing on you at all.”  He shoved his books back into his bag, and took Izzy’s from her.  “Now if you’ll excuse us, we have a Sociology class to get to.”

Dick swung his bag up onto his shoulder, but he's immediately forced to take a step back, pulling Izzy behind him, as the second student, who had brown hair and hazel eyes ,  stepped into his space.

“You should show some respect, Grayson.  He was just asking a harmless question?”  He crossed his arms, shooting a smirk at  Dick .

Dick ground his teeth together when he could feel Izzy start to shake, hands trembling in the grip she  now  had on his jacket.

“You’d think the news would have been all over  that  _ Wayne’s _  kid,  w a s a dopting a brat of his own.”   Dark hair spoke again, mocking venom dripping from every word.

Dick took a steadying breath, fighting back every need he had to just drop both of the idiots  w here they stood.  But that wasn’t how Dick Grayson, son of Bruce Wayne acted.  He was a charming, unintimidating former circus aerialist.  Not a seasoned vigilante who’s been fighting bigger  men  than these bozos since he was nine years old.  “Why, and how she came to be in my care, is none of your business.  And I’d appreciate it if the fact that she’s here is kept out of the press. ”  His voice dropped to a growl as Izzy began to tremble harder, her grip on his shirt convulsing in the beginnings of panic. “ Or do you enjoy traumatizing already scared children?”

Both men flinched, finally looking down at the shaking form of Izzy,  face hiding  against Dick’s back , trying her hardest to go unnoticed .  They looked  back  up at Dick and  startled  at the hard look in his eyes .  T he tilt of his head, and the way he was holding himself, had them stepping back.

“Of-of course not!”

“We would never.”

“Great!   Glad to hear it. ”  Dick turned and easily picked Izzy up, resting her on his hip, letting her hide her face against his neck.  “We’ll just be on our way then.”  Without waiting for a reply Dick pushed his way through, heading for the stairs.

“Dick!”  He’s stopped at the top  of the stairs  by Sarah, a girl he worked on a paper with, near the beginning of term .    “If you want,  I  can  send you the notes from Sociology ,  so you two can get home.  Beat the media out of here, just in case.”

“Thanks Sarah, you’re the greatest!”  Dick’s grin could have split his face in two.  He knew, logically, that someone had called the media.  However, if he could leave before his classes were scheduled to end, he would be able to avoid them easily.  “I owe you one.”

“No big deal, you just look after this little munchkin.”  Sarah smiled gently at Izzy when she peaked out from Dick’s neck.

“Will do.  Come on squirt.  Home and Pizza calls.”

“Mushrooms.”

Dick chuckled, nuzzling his nose against her cheek playfully.   “Yeah kid, Mushrooms.”

Dick slow ed as they came around the corner,  and he grip ped  Izzy’s hand just a bit tighter.  Someone was leaning against the tree he had parked his car under.  As they get closer his frown slowly turns into a grin, as he recognizes the large man waiting by his car.  He eases his grip on Izzy’s hand, rubbing his thumb along the back of it soothingly.  "It's okay, I known this guy.  He's a friend of Bruce's."

‘ _ This day is just full of interruptions.’ _  Dick thought to himself.  ‘ _ But at least this one I don’t want to punch in the face _ .’

“Mr. Kent, to what do we owe the pleasure.”

“Good afternoon, Mr. Grayson-Wayne.  I’ve just heard some rumours recently, that I was hoping to get substantiated.”  The man pushe d  off the tree, moving closer to t he pa i r as they approached the car.  Hi s head block ed  the sun  and it partially obscured  his features.  That is until Dick and Izzy g o t close enough, and the sun s unk  down lower, behind his back, and the man’s easy grin and kind blue eyes could  then  be seen. 

Dick quickly  unlock ed  the  car, nudging Izzy’s shoulder.  “Go on, get in.  I’ll just be a minute.”  Dick watched with some amusement as Izzy looked back and forth between himself and Clark, clearly suspicious of the older man.  She eventually nodded, and moved towards the car, deciding to take Dick’s word for it.  “Thanks kiddo.  We’ll get going soon.”

Dick waited until Izzy was settled in the backseat, door closed and locked, before addressing Clark.  “So. .. rumours  huh.”

“Yup, just want to clear up a few things on the merger WE Is doing with SPADE Tech in a few weeks, and - “

“Bruce called  you,  didn’t he?”

Dick was impressed that the man kept his poker face for as long as he did, but Clark caved the second Dick’s polite  _ socialite _ smile  bled into something more genuine.  

“Yes, but not for the reason that you think.  He trusts you with this, with her, even though he’ll never come right out and say it.”  Clark’s smile was a both a little sad and fond, and Dick got it.  They both knew how much Bruce  struggled to  verbalize how he felt, in a ny kind of  positive way.  “He just wanted me to check in, make sure everything was going all right.  Make sure you didn’t need anything, that you hadn’t thought of before you left.  Speaking of,” Clark reached into the messenger bag that was over his shoulder, and pulled out a sheaf of paper.  “From Alfred.  The recipes he used to get Jason on track nutrition wise when he first came to the Manor.”

Dick took them grin widening.  “Good old Alfred.  These will help a lot.”  H e flipped through a few of them, smiling at the hand inked notes on printed paper.  Annotations from Alfred to help Dick along in the kitchen.  “Bless that man.”

“How has it been, so far?”

Dick shrugged, placing the papers in his bag, before facing Clark.  “Okay, not a walk in the park, but not as bad as I anticipated it to be.  She’s only been free for less than a week though, it may just not have sunk in for her yet.”

Clark nodded his agreement, reaching over and ruffling Dick’s hair, like he used to when Dick was younger.  “She has you to help her through it though, so I’m sure she’ll come out fine.  And I’m just a call away of you need a hand.”

Dick ducked under Clark’s large hand, taking a step back, laughing,  a  blush on his face.  “Thanks Clark.  That means a lot.  But checking in on me and the munchkin can’t be the only reason you’re here.”

It was Clark’s turn to  f lush ; he brought his  large hand  up  to rub at the back of his head.  “You caught me.  I was also here about that merger, but...” He glanced at Izzy sitting patiently in the car, feet swinging back and forth as she waited.  “I can get those quotes from Bruce, how about I help get the other media hounds off your back, about you and Isabel?”

Dick started ,  caught off guard for a second, but he paused to give the offer the thought it was due. Having Clark do a small piece on how Izzy came to be with him, and why, would get the media to back off somewhat, and Clark wouldn’t try and twist it into anything other than what it was.

“Okay, I accept. On  one  condition.”

“Name it.”

“Check Izzy over?  Make sure she doesn’t have any other injuries the  Doctors  in Central may have missed.”

“Done.”

* * *

 

 

After the chat with Clark and a quick stop off for the promised pizza, Dick and Izzy finally ma d e it back to the penthouse.  Izzy  wa s carefully balancing the two boxes in her arms as she vibrate d  with glee.  Dick’s head is almost inside his bag as he look ed  for the keys, muttering to himself.  “Next time, just thro w  them in an outside pocket, Grayson, save yourself some embarrassment.”

He pulls his head out when he hears Izzy giggle.  “Oh, think this is  funny ,  do you?”

Izzy nod ded , still laughing, “Yes.”

“I’m  gonna  have to go with the kid on this one, babe.  You do look ridiculous.”

Dick dropped his bag and caught the pizza’s as Izzy jumped, startled  by  the sudden appearance of yet another stranger.  He looked over his shoulder and froze for a moment, at seeing who was standing there.

“Wally?  Uh...hi.”

“Hey yourself.  You forget what day it is again?”  Wally’s smile was warm and affectionate, but more guarded than Dick was used to seeing.  Wally’s eyes, a green that stood out brightly against pale skin and more freckles than sense, kept darting between Dick and Izzy.

“Uh, yeah, completely.  Why don’t you join us for supper and I’ll explain?”  He turned back to look at Izzy, one eyebrow raised.  “That okay with  you,  kiddo?”

Izzy peered around Dick, looking up at Wally, watching as he walked forward, coming to a stop next to Dick, so close that their shoulders brushed together.

Dick couldn’t help but smile as Wally crouched down so he was more at Izzy’s level.  “Hi, I’m Wally, what’s your name?”

She pressed herself tighter to Dick’s back, but still kept an eye on the tall red-head.  “Izzy.”

“Izzy, huh, that’s a pretty name, for such a pretty little bird.  Is it okay with you if I help you and Dickie-bird here eat those pizzas?”  Wally grinned when he heard Dick groan above him.

“You’ve been talking to Jay behind my back again, haven’t you?”

Wally smile  didn’t leave his face as  he straighten ed  up, giving Dick’s cheek a quick peck.  “I might have been, whatcha  gonna  do about it, Pretty Bird?”

“Help Izzy eat your half of the pizzas.”

“That’s cold, Grayson.”

Their banter is interrupted by Izzy’s abrupt laughter, and they both watched ,  as she slapped her hand over her mouth, eyes darting up and down the hall quickly.

Dick ignored the rage and sadness that welled up at the sight of Izzy being scared to just laugh .  He  p lastered  a smile on his face, that he hoped didn’t look as fake as it felt.  “Well Izzy, what do you say?  You okay with Wally joining us?”

The pair waited patiently as Izzy calmed herself, taking slow breaths, before looking back up at them, a shy smile on her face, and nodded.

“Great,” Wally clapped his hands together, before reaching into a pocket and pulling out a set of keys.  “You hold the food; I’ll get the door.”


	5. November 30th

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some cute and sad bonding moments between Izzy and Dick, and some fluffy domestic Birdflash for this Chapter. I ma going to try and update every Monday until this fic is done, I have 7/12 chapters written so far, and that looks like how long it's going to be. Unless the story and characters get away from me, as they are wont to do.

Dick was absently stirring his coffee when he heard the scraping of a chair as it was dragged across tile.  He looked up to see Izzy pulling herself  up  into the chair.  Sleep still clouded her expression, hair a  tangled mess , green eyes half lidded as she stared unseeingly at the counter top.

“Morning sleepy-head. You sleep alright?”

Izzy nodded, biting back a yawn.  “Yes, can I have some juice please?”

“Sure thing.  Orange juice or fruit punch?”

“Fruit punch.”

“Comin’ right up, sweetheart.”  Dick took a sip of his coffee before heading for the fridge, pulling out not only the requested juice, but also some milk and actual fruit.  He set those on the counter before moving to the cupboards and pulling out three bowls, and several different kinds of cereals.  Dick couldn’t quite keep the smile off of his face when Izzy immediately reached for the Corn Flakes.  She’d gotten more comfortable about asking for and just taking food when she wanted it, over the last few days.  At least when they were inside the condo.  Outside she still leaned more towards just making herself as quiet and inconspicuous as possible.

Izzy had finished her bowl of cereal and was happily munching on an apple when Wally stumbled into the kitchen, eyes still half closed.

Dick chuckled into his mug,  before  passing i t  to Wally once the lanky red-head reached him .  He watched fondly as Wally took a sip, the little bit of caffeine helping him to wake up .  “Morning, Wal.”

“Hmm, morning gorgeous.”  Wally mumbled as he placed a kiss to the top of Dick’s head, handing the other man back his mug.  He moved towards the counter to make his own.  “ Morning Little Bird.   What’s for breakfast?”

“Cereal - Izzy, sweetie what’s wrong?”

Both men turned to look at Izzy, who had frozen mid-bite of her apple, eyes wide, but unfocused.  Her breath hitched on a sob as she remembered to breathe, and she dropped from her chair, running back to her room.  Both Wally and Dick flinched as they heard her door slam shut.

The apple rolled off the counter and onto the floor, rolling towards we Dick and Wally stood, staring.

“What was that about?”

Dick shook his head, setting his mug down on the counter, picking the apple up off the floor, and throwing it in the garbage.  “I don’t know.  I haven’t seen her react like that  before .”  He reached across the island and gathered up Izzy’s discarded dishes.  “Most things she reacts to set off a panic response.  That was, that looked like grief or pain.”

“You don’t think...was it our fault?”

Dick looked over his shoulder as he dropped the dishes into the sink, turning his attention to Wally.  He was looking down the hall, his face a mixture of worry and  guilt .  Wally had never met Izzy officially, before the girl went missing, even though they had already been dating for nearly two years.   Bot h  ha d heard all about  the other  from Dick, and  Wally  had helped the younger vigilante in the search for  Izzy  whenever he could.  And in the week since she had come to live with Dick, Wally had grown extremely fond  of the quiet girl , just as much as she was of him.   Wally had been spending some of his free time at the Penthouse, and more often than not Izzy could be found curled up with Wally if Dick was intent on studying.  He had the pictures on his phone to prove it. 

“Yes and no.  She definitely reacted to something we did, but it wasn’t intentional on our parts.”  He walked up behind Wally, wrapping his arms around his waist, and went up on his toes, to hook his chin over his taller boyfriend’s shoulder.  He kissed the side of Wally’s neck softly.  As Dick spoke his lips brushed against Wally's neck, “I’ll give her a bit to calm down ,  then go check on her.  Go sit and eat some breakfast, you got in late last night.”

Wally turned his head enough to give Dick a proper kiss, before kissing his forehead gratefully.  “Okay....you have any bacon?”

* * *

An hour later, after Wally had powered through most of the contents of his fridge, Dick knocked on Izzy’s door, and waited to hear if she would invite him in.  If she wasn’t ready quite yet, he wouldn’t push it.  After hearingf nothing for several moments, he was about to turn away when the sound of the door knob turning made him pause.  He wait ed  a few more seconds, before opening the door, and sticking his head inside.

“Hey there sweetheart, can I come in?”

He looked at the pile of blankets, smiling when he saw the lump nod its assent.  He slipped into the room, closing the door gently behind him.  The room was sparse, it had some bedding, books from the manor were scattered across a small desk in the corner, and the curtains were open, filling the room with bright morning light.  They were going to go out that weekend and get Izzy some more things of her own.  Clothing, books, games, whatever she thought she would like, to try and make the room feel a bit more like home.  Instead of just a place she was staying.

The last thing Dick wanted, was for Izzy to feel like she was trapped in another prison.

He walked over to the bed, being careful not to bump Izzy, as he climbed up onto the mattress, his body automatically dropping into lotus position.  He waited patiently until he could see one of Izzy’s green eyes peeking out from her cocoon of blankets.  “First, I want to let you know, you aren’t in  ** any **  kind of trouble for what happened at breakfast.”  Dick continued to smile kindly as she slowly began to emerge from her cotton huddle.  “I just want to talk about what happened.  What Wally and I might have done or said, that made you so upset?”

Izzy was quiet for a long while, before she finally emerged from her blankets, letting it fall back to settle about her shoulders, like a cowl pushed back.  Her words came haltingly as she tried to find the right ones to explain.  “At breakfast...you, and Wally,” She paused, freeing one hand from her blankets to scrub aggressively at her face.  “Dad, Dad used to say the say the same...same thing to mom in the mornings.”  Her lower lipped quivered, and she flipped her hood back up, hiding back beneath her blankets, shoulders shaking with barely repressed sobs.

Dick was across the bed, arms wrapping around Izzy before he had even finished the thought.  He sat down next to her, pulling her tight against his side, and let her cry until her sobs subsided.  He continued to rock her slowly, back and forth as he started talking, speaking quietly into soft brown hair.  “Did you know, that when I first came to the Manor, I couldn’t bring myself to practice any tumbling? No gymnastics, no aerials, nothing.”  He rested his chin on top of Izzy’s head, feeling her shift to look up at him.  “The routines reminded me too much of my parents, and I just...I couldn’t bring myself to do them.

“Bruce...thought it would help me find some closure to go to their graves.  To talk to them.”  He kissed her hair and pulled back, giving her the room to tilt her head back to look up at him.

She sniffed hard, rubbing her face against the blankets.  “Did it make the hurt stop?”

“No, no Little Bird, not right away.  It did help though.  I t started to heal the hurt that my parent’s deaths had left.”  Dick shifted, pulling Izzy into his lap, and resting his chin on her shoulder.  “I  still didn’t start tumbling right away, it was too hard so soon after.  I did return to it though, slowly and in my own time."

He paused and turned her to face him just a bit, making sure she heard his next words.  “I want you to understand something, Izzy.  No one is expecting you to be okay with everything right away, or ever.  You’re allowed to take however long it takes for  **you** to heal.  Alright?  No one else can tell you when you should be ready to be over something.  Okay?”

Izzy nodded, sniffling quietly.

“Good."  He let her turn back around then, going back to rocking them back and forth gently, in time with their breathing.  "Did you want to come out and watch some TV with me and Wally?  Or stay in here a bit longer?”

“Stay.”

Dick nodded, hugging her quickly around the shoulders before he slipped off the bed, heading towards the door.  “Okay, sweetheart.  You come out whenever you’re ready.”

“Dick?”

Izzy’s whisper made Dick pause with his hand on the door knob, and he looked back over his shoulder.  “Yeah, sweetheart?”

“Could...could we go...could we go see my parents?”

Dick smile was bright with pride for her.  For asking for something  ** she **  wanted.  “Of course. I’ll find out from Bruce where the y’re  buried.  We can go whenever you’re ready.”

Izzy smiled gently as she curled back into her blankets, and Dick closed the door behind him, other hand already reaching into his pocket for his phone.  He'd text Bruce right away and get the location of Izzy's parents graves, that way when she's ready they could go.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first foray into the DC Universe, any mistakes in characterization are purely my own fault, but this IS an AU so keep that in mind. I'm always open to constructive criticism , but don't be rude. I'm sorry for any formatting issues. AO3 does not like when I transfer word documents over.


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